Four–star QB Jake Bentley says he's joining South Carolina early

Four–star quarterback and South Carolina commitment Jake Bentley says he is joining the program early after discovering he has enough credits to graduate high school early.

Bentley, originally a class of 2017 commitment for South Carolina, announced on Twitter that he would not play high school football for Opelika High School in Opelika, Ala., this year after learning he had enough credits to graduate. Bentley said he would officially join the South Carolina football program this summer rather than next year.

If Bentley indeed joins the program before this season, he'll add his name to a crowded list of South Carolina quarterbacks already on the team. The Gamecocks have seven other quarterbacks on their full roster: Connor Mitch, Perry Orth, Brandon McIlwain, Lorenzo Nunez, Michael Scarnecchia, Danny Gordon and Gage Pucci.

Scout.com ranks Bentley as the No. 91 prospect and the No. 9 quarterback in the class of 2017. Bentley, who committed to the Gamecocks in March, is the son of South Carolina running backs coach Bobby Bentley.

South Carolina finished last season 3–9 after the mid–season resignation of head coach Steve Spurrier. In December, the school hired Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to be its new head coach.